Margot Robbie will most likely not be the DC Universe’s Harley Quinn. Though she played the character for three films, including one directed by DC Studios’ James Gunn, the actress appears to be moving on to other roles. Moreover, the DCU is rebooting the Batman franchise, so new actors will be cast in both the heroic and villainous roles. Robbie will perhaps be the most difficult actor to replace. She is the first to play Harley in a live-action film, and though Robbie starred in some of DC’s more divisive movies, her performance was lauded.
Even so, DC appears to be moving on with Harley. Lady Gaga will portray a new version of the character in Joker: Folie A Deux, who will be more grounded to match the tone of Joker. Aside from Joker, The Penguin has teased their potential take on Harley. Regardless, Robbie is iconic in the role, and she will be missed by fans.
The DCU Is Yet To Confirm Margot Robbie’s Return As Harley Quinn
Margot Robbie Supports Recasting Harley Quinn
After The Suicide Squad in 2021, Robbie’s future as Harley Quinn was somewhat up in the air. The DCEU was flailing, with Wonder Woman 1984, Black Adam, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods meeting negative reception. Then, Gunn and Peter Safran took over as co-heads of DC Studios, and the DCEU slate was canceled altogether. However, Gunn stated that he’d “love to work with [Robbie] again as Harley or as someone else.” As for Robbie herself, she’s not stressed about Harley being recast, adding:
“I always wanted Harley to be a character that would get passed on to other actresses to play, the way there are so many iconic male characters. That was always the dream for her. Harley’s so fun and can go in so many different directions. You put her in someone else’s hands, and it’s like, ‘What are they going to do with her?’ The options are endless.”
Between Robbie’s comments and the cancelation of the DCEU, the actress reprising Harley seems like a long shot. Per Gunn, “there are no plans at this time for anyone else to play Harley” in the main DCU, however. Even so, a few Elseworlds projects are making their own spins on Harley.
Lady Gaga’s Lee Is Joker 2’s Reimagining Of Harley Quinn
Joker 2 Creates A Totally Unique Harley Quinn
Lady Gaga will play a completely different version of Harley Quinn for Joker: Folie à Deux. Instead of being Joker’s therapist led astray, this iteration of the character, renamed Lee Quinzel, is a patient at Arkham Asylum. This recontextualizes their relationship, which is no longer rooted in Joker manipulating Harley. The two are equals craving connection and power yet unable to help themselves. According to director Todd Phillips, Gaga’s Lee doesn’t have many of the character’s trademarks. He further explained to Variety that he “wanted her to fit into this world of Gotham that we created from the first movie.“
In order to make a more grounded character, Phillips said he did away with “the high voice, that accent, the gum-chewing and all that sort of sassy stuff that’s in the comics.” Additionally, the film is a musical, so Gaga’s musical chops will add a whole new dimension to the character. With Joker: Folie à Deux hitting theaters in October, audiences will meet Lee and witness this new Harley. At this point, Gaga is not slated to return, but if the Joker sequel performs well, DC may bring her back for more.
The Penguin Has A More Radical Replacement For Harley Quinn
The Penguin May Redefine The Character Entirely
Though Harley Quinn herself has not appeared in The Penguin, the show introduced a character with an extremely similar backstory. Dr. Julian Rush, portrayed by Theo Rossi, is Sofia Falcone’s therapist who she met as an inmate in Arkham Asylum. Throughout the flashbacks, he is seen being kind and supportive of Sofia. However, after a stressful treatment, Rush consoles Sofia in a physically intimate way, holding her from behind. While Sofia is not manipulative to Rush, their relationship calls Joker and Harley to mind. Both are unethical pairings between a patient and their therapist, though the power dynamic is reversed.
The Penguin’s
writers undoubtedly knew these comparisons would be made, so perhaps Rush and Sofia will subvert expectations and have an entirely different resolution.
With 6 more episodes of The Penguin, Rush’s potential romance with Sofia may develop in ways that either resemble Joker and Harley more or that have nothing in common. After all, Rush being Sofia’s doctor and not being vulnerable in the ways that Harley was makes it unlikely their story will end the same way. The Penguin’s writers undoubtedly knew these comparisons would be made, so perhaps Rush and Sofia will subvert expectations and have an entirely different resolution.
Regardless, Harley Quinn is an important and popular DC character, so sooner or later, she’ll be brought back. With another Batman franchise in the works, either Robbie or a new actress could take on the role. With such a beloved character, it would be a waste not to give Harley Quinn a role in the DCU.
DC Universe
The DC Universe is one of the biggest comic book franchises and often competes with Marvel. DC Comics started as National Allied Publications, founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1935. Since then, the franchise has exploded with thousands of comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. 2013 marked the beginning of the most recent iteration of the superheroes, with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman. After several movies with mixed reviews, DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
